Galiani Brothers Join Forces with Crunch

NEW YORK -- One year after leaving the Gold’s Gym brand, Kirk and John Galiani have formed a partnership with Crunch.

The Galiani brothers, who own and operate their six Onelife Fitness clubs in Virginia, will open the first of multiple Crunch clubs next January in Washington, DC, followed by another club in the first quarter of 2011.

The Galianis will own and operate Crunch’s corporate model, which has a high price point in urban areas, as well as its franchise model, which has a low price point in suburban areas. This gives the Galianis price flexibility and more power in their market, Crunch says.

“We could not be happier to be working with Kirk and John,” Crunch CEO Jim Rowley said in a statement. “They are tremendous operators, with decades of experience in the industry. As former CEO and COO of Gold’s Gym International, they bring a wealth of knowledge to the Crunch brand. The Crunch franchise effort is off to an incredible start, and we are very honored to have Kirk and John join our team.”

The Galianis’ first Crunch club will be a 16,000-square-foot renovated movie theater.

“My brother and I have explored various simplified gym models, and after much consideration, we concluded that the Crunch brand and their twist on the concept to include dynamic group fitness and personal training is the best fit for us,” Kirk Galiani said in a statement. “This opportunity gives us the ability to continue to develop our Onelife Fitness sports clubs, as well as open both the higher-end Crunch corporate clubs and the Crunch franchise clubs throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.”

Crunch also announced last week that it will open its newest franchise location next February in Beaverton, OR. Another corporate club will open next spring in the San Francisco suburb of Daly City, CA.